South of Santa Fe
by joliesse43
Summary: Booth and Bones have just finished a case in Santa Fe and are ready to return home, but a few ghostly encounters, some old bones, some new bones and a kiss extend their stay in the Southwest. Rating will probably go up to T.
1. Chapter 1

South of Santa Fe

--

I wrote this story for a challenge and I've been wanting to add more cause I really liked how it turned out. And there's been a romantic plot running around in my head for a few weeks and I finally realized I could use this story to write it!

This story includes the old Mexican folktale of La Llorona. I've heard several different versions, but consulted Joe Hayes 'La Llorona : the weeping woman'

--

"Cheers!" Brennan exclaimed as their glasses clinked merrily. Booth smiled back and took a long drink of beer. Feeling himself begin to relax, he looked around the bar, taking in the eclectic ambience. Dim lighting, candles on the tables, and brightly colored weavings on the wall. However, that charm didn't extend to the small and crowded corner of the bar where they were seated, where a dozen men had gathered around a small tv and were loudly cheering the grainy images on the screen.

But Booth didn't let it bother him. For once, the case had been easily and quickly solved. The body was identified as a local heroin dealer, and while he left family to mourn him, he was a victim of violence by choice. It made the case less emotionally draining. Tomorrow they would be on their way back home, not that the time hadn't been pleasant. They had stayed at La Posada de Santa Fe at Bones' insistence, though even with the government discount it was out of his price range. But he had to admit, maybe not to Bones, that the ambience of the old adobe hotel had been worth the money.

The heat he dreaded with every trip to the southwest had yet to materialize; so far each afternoon had brought a refreshing burst of rain showers. In fact, he reflected that the trip had almost felt like a vacation. He could tell Bones was more relaxed as well. Her company could be quite enjoyable when she wasn't quite so tense and driven. Booth turned to his partner to tell her as much, but her attention was glued to the television screen, where a young reporter was standing in a shallow canyon. While Booth couldn't quite make out what he was saying, the tag line across the bottom of the screen told him all he needed to know.

'Bones found in arroyo south of Santa Fe.'

Booth closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as the relaxing, vacation-esque feeling slowly fizzled. Brennan turned towards him, eyes bright. "Booth," she said, nodding towards the tv to make sure he was paying attention.

"Oh no, Bones." Booth held up his hand. "We solved our case. We are done," he said firmly, all too familiar with the glint in his partner's eyes.

"But … it's bones," she argued.

"You know, there is still a little thing called jurisdiction," Booth explained. "We can't just show up at any crime scene and demand to see bones."

"Yes, but these remains are on Bureau of Land Management land," she said smugly.

A sigh escaped Booth's lips. Before he could answer, the bartender reappeared and they ordered a second round of drinks. They watched the reporter wrap up his story. "Local authorities are not commenting on the possible identity yet, though one anonymous source said the remains could be ancient rather than recent."

"That's a good possibility you know," Bones chimed in, "the bones being ancient, especially in this part of the country. In college I spent a few weeks further south assisting on a dig that uncovered an entire pueblo. Construction workers found it when-"

"That's fascinating, Bones," Booth said, cutting her off before she could launch into a detailed archaeological history of the area. "We are supposed to fly out at eleven tomorrow morning."

"I know," Brennan said a bit hurt, "I just thought …"

"La Llorona," an old man sitting down the bar muttered, interrupting Brennan.

"I'm sorry," she said unsure if he was speaking to them.

"It's La Llorona," he repeated.

Booth peered past his partner at the elderly Hispanic man whose shock of white hair was in stark contrast to his brown and weathered skin. The man's hand shook as he raised the glass of dark alcohol to his lips. Booth gave him a placating look and leaned back on the stool. "Look, Bones, if they are probably historical then it isn't worth our time."

"A long time ago in old Mexico," the man began, undeterred by Booth's disregard, "there was a woman named Maria." They both turned to the man who gave them a grim smile before continuing his tale. "Maria was very beautiful and she didn't think that any of the men in her village were good enough for her to marry. One day a rich handsome stranger rode in and she knew that he was the one for her. They were married and had two beautiful _ninos. _After a while, the man grew tired of Maria; he loved his children, but not his wife." He chuckled as if it were a familiar situation and took another drink.

"One evening," he continued, "she was out walking with her children and her husband rode past with a fancy woman next to him. He spoke to the children, but not to Maria. She went _loco_, and ran to the river and threw her children in. Soon, she realized what she had done. She ran alongside the river crying for them, but she never found her children. The next day, they found her dead next to the river."

Booth smiled patiently at the old man. "So what does that have to do with the body?" he asked gesturing towards the tv.

Taking his time, the old man raised his eyes from his glass and stared at the two of them. "La Llorona is still out there," he said, his gravely voice dropping even lower, "looking for her children along the arroyos each time the darkness falls. They must be careful, or she will take them. And it is not always children." He paused and looked up from his glass taking a moment to meet each of their eyes. "Sometimes she is there, following the arroyos, a sad and desperate woman dressed all in white. But the worst is too hear her weeping, crying "_Aaaaiii … mis hijos! Donde estan mis hijos?_"

A shiver ran up Booth's spine at the old man's Spanish words. He knew enough Spanish to know she was calling for her children. Somewhat embarrassed he cleared his throat and looked at Brennan. She rolled her eyes.

"You do not believe," the old man said sadly.

"I respect that it is an old legend, passed down among families," Brennan said, "but no, I don't believe that it is literally true."

The old man laughed, a peculiar and haunting sound. Shadows from the candlelight danced across his face, revealing many years in the deep creases. "Here in Santa Fe there are many spirits. So many centuries, so much blood spilled. It is wise to not forget that."

"Um, right. Thank you." Booth stood up and pulled several bills out of his wallet, laying them on the bar. "That's interesting." He put a hand on Brennan's back and led her towards the exit.

"I wasn't done with my drink yet," she complained once they were outside. The noise from the bar faded into the night as they crossed the grounds back towards the main building. The hotel bar was in a separate house; one that Brennan remembered reading was supposedly haunted by the woman who had lived, and died, there.

"I'm sorry, Bones," Booth said. He removed his arm from her back and stretched his arms high above his head; finally letting out a yawn he had been stifling. "But I think I've heard enough bedtime stories for tonight."

Brennan shivered as the cool night air replaced the warmth from his arm. His yawn was contagious and she found herself yawning along with him; the straight forward case and laid back atmosphere of the city were starting to take their toll. "I suppose you are right. It is getting late." They walked in comfortable silence until they reached their rooms, Booth's directly across the hall from hers.

"So tomorrow," he began, wanting to remind her about their flight. At the disappointed look on her face he stopped. Running his hands through his hair, he studied Brennan's face and saw the unspoken plea in her sharp blue eyes. He knew she wanted to examine the bones. He also knew if their presence was requested his phone would have already rang.

"Flight at eleven," she supplied dully when he didn't finish.

"Well," Booth said slowly, "I could probably get us on the site, if it is BLM land."

"Really?" she asked. "Because I would love a chance to examine the find." Booth couldn't help but smile, only Brennan looked like a kid on Christmas morning when told she could visit a pile of old bones.

"We can go out there and look. Briefly," he added pointedly, not relishing the prospect of hours spent trying to amuse himself in the desert while Brennan crawled around happily with her bones.

"Thanks, Booth." Excited by the prospect of once again uncovering ancient remains, she reached out and squeezed his arm. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Not too early," he admonished. He watched her open her door and enter her room. "And, Bones," he called before she it closed, "this is not a case. It's more like a field trip."

--

Noon the next day found Booth sitting on the tailgate of his rented Chevy Tahoe watching Bones and several of her colleagues play in the dirt. The remains weren't modern. Brennan pulled him to the sandy bottom and pointed out the obvious indicators of ancient bones. "The teeth are a major indicator. Modern dentistry, as you know, leaves a mark on teeth that time cannot erase. This man never saw a dentist or had a filling."

A BLM archaeologist approached the two holding a small metatarsal bone. "And you can see the extra deterioration on the bones from being buried for so long," he added. Booth watched as the two walked back towards the remains, the shorter man gesturing animatedly as went. Booth returned to the shade tent the Santa Fe County sheriff's deputy had erected. The officer had not left the shade, nor his lawn chair, for several hours. Booth didn't blame him; at nearly 7,000 feet the sun could be brutal. Brennan didn't seem to be effected by the intense rays, but Booth forced her to put on suntan lotion, knowing how easily her fair skin burned.

"Sorry," Brennan said, plopping down in the dirt at his feet several hours later. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late. You should have told me."

Booth passed her a bottle of cold water from the cooler. "I was going to, at six," he said holding up his watch. This was why he had booked their flight for early the next morning instead of today. Well, maybe like ninety percent of the reason. The remaining percentage could be possibly be related to extending his faux vacation with his partner.

The ride back to the hotel passed quickly, but it was still almost seven when Booth pulled into the parking garage. Brennan had offered to pay the extra ten dollars for valet parking, but Booth refused insisting he wouldn't pay when he could park himself.

"My shovel!" Brennan called, her voice muffled by the bag her head was currently buried in.

"What?" Booth asked, coming around to the back.

"My shovel," she repeated. She looked frantically around the back of the Tahoe. "It's not here."

"Yeah, that sucks, Bones, but I'm sure the Jeffersonian can afford a new one." Booth was tired, hungry and in no mood to take inventory of their tools.

"No," Brennan shook her head. "This is _my_ shovel."

"Don't tell me it's your lucky shovel," Booth taunted.

Brennan shook her head and reflected on where she and the shovel had been. "Not lucky," she said quietly, "but I've taken it with me everywhere. Columbia, el Salvador, Iraq, Uganda."

"Alright," Booth said. "If you think you left it, we'll go back." He could tell that the shovel really meant a lot to her, and for Bones that was saying something. "But can we eat dinner first?"

--

The site was even harder to find at night. Brennan read the directions to him. "It says 'first right after the arroyo with the big boulder,' did we pass that?" Booth looked out, but the headlights revealed nothing but miles of silvery sagebrush and the occasional juniper.

Grabbing the paper out of her hands, Booth held it up towards the cab light. "I know where I am going," he said stubbornly. Brennan wasn't quite so sure, but ten minutes later they arrived at the site.

"Here." Booth said, offering her a flashlight. She took it, but didn't turn it on. The moon was nearly full and it reflected brightly off the light colored rock and sand, giving the area a surreal and almost dreamlike quality. "I'll look over here," he gestured to his right.

"And I'll look over here," Brennan said, walking off in the exact direction to which he had just pointed. Shrugging, Booth went left instead.

Brennan was angry with herself for misplacing the shovel. She had carried it with her through some very harrowing situations and if she lost it here, abandoned among the juniper and sage… A glint on the ground caught her eye and she smiled with relief. Booth must have been watching her as he was sitting on a large rock jutting out of the side of the arroyo when she returned.

"Found it," she said triumphantly holding up the small folding shovel.

"I'm glad," Booth replied patting the rock beside him. Brennan climbed out of the canyon and joined him, stabbing the shovel into the earth beside her so it stuck straight up. As she sat, she misjudged the angle of the rock and fell towards Booth. He caught her easily; his hands steady on her waist.

"Thanks," she mumbled, reddening at the close contact. Settling down carefully on the rock, she moved away from Booth, but they were still close enough that their arms touched. "We should be careful. La Llorona might get us," Brennan teased.

"Yeah," Booth agreed, "that one was new to me. Who tells that kind of stuff to kids?"

"Like a witch who lures children to her house with candy and eats them? Or a _Canis lupus_ who consumes and then regurgitates a girl's grandmother right before her eyes? It might be different than our traditional western European fairy tales, but it is just as much a product of the culture, and no less important," Brennan argued.

"But the witch doesn't eat Hansel and Gretel," Booth pointed out, "and at least grandma was, you know, spit back out."

"Well," Brennan paused as she thought, "sometimes folklore has a practical basis. Arroyos can be dangerous. This area is prone to monsoon-like rains in the summer and these arroyos quickly fill with rushing water. Teaching kids to be wary of them makes sense."

"Boy, you know how to suck the magic out everything, don't you?" Booth teased, nudging Brennan in the ribs with his elbow.

She shifted uncomfortably on the rock and looked out across the strangely lit landscape. "That wasn't my intent, but you can't possibly believe this story," she rallied.

He ignored her question and said, "I forget that it's so hard for you to believe in something you can't see."

"That isn't true," she retorted indignantly, returning the jab to his midsection. "There are many things in science that cannot be seen with the human eye, but I believe in their existence. Like a cell or a nucleus."

"You believe because you can prove it in your lab. Look at it under magnification."

"Yes."

For the next few minutes, neither of them spoke. Brennan breathed in deeply, enjoying the sweet scent of the late spring blossoms. Without warning, from somewhere up the canyon, she heard a faint sound. A quick glance at Booth told her he had heard the same thing. They listened for several long minutes, but hearing nothing, they relaxed once again.

"_Aaaaiii!_"

Brennan started as the wail echoed across the night. Next to her, Booth tensed. The wail was longer this time, but after it stopped, all was quiet. Booth was on his feet quickly, not yet drawing his weapon, but his hand twitched.

"Must be the wind," Brennan said dubiously as she stood up next to him.

They both looked at the weeds at their feet, which sat maddeningly still. There wasn't a whisper of wind to be found. "Yeah," Booth agreed, taking a half-step closer to his partner as his eyes scanned the uneven landscape. "Wind."

Pulling her shovel out of the ground, Brennan said, "We have what we came for."

"Might as well head back to the hotel." Booth agreed, trying to keep his tone casual. They walked the thirty feet back to the rental car quickly, simultaneously climbing into their respective seats. Booth shot Brennan a sheepish look. She answered with a blush and pulled her door shut.

Before he could shut his, the eerie keening again split the night, louder this time. He instinctively slammed the door shut; his finger halfway to the lock when it slid closed. This time it was Brennan who looked abashed. Clearing his throat, Booth started the car and drove away, keeping a watchful eye on the rear view mirror.

--

This time, the drive back from the site seemed to take forever. More accurately, it was the dirt road and sagebrush part that felt the longest. They spoke occasionally, but didn't engage in any prolonged discussions. Booth turned on the radio, which blared an upbeat Mexican song. He fiddled with the dials until the soft strains of a Pink Floyd song filled the air.

"So where did you get this mythical shovel?" Booth asked, concentrating as he navigated the large SUV through the narrow streets around the historic plaza.

"From a professor," Brennan answered. At his look she added, "Not that one."

He was tempted to give her a hard time about being attached to an inanimate object, but when she turned back towards the window, he sensed it wasn't the time. Booth parked the car in the garage once again. He moved to open the tailgate, but Brennan stopped him. "No need to carry it all back tomorrow morning," she said. He happily agreed to any plan that didn't involve him schlepping her heavy field equipment.

As they waited for a car to pass, Brennan leaned back against a short adobe wall and stared out at the moon hanging brightly over the dark silhouette of the mountains. Just thirty minutes removed from their isolated arroyo and it felt like a different world.

"_Sangre de Cristo_," Booth whispered in a low voice, his head bent next to hers.

"Blood of Christ," She translated the name of the mountain range automatically. Yesterday, they had seen the mountains turn a deep red at sunset and she understood the name.

"Come on, Bones," Booth said finally, breaking the spell. They started across the drive and towards the main lobby. Another couple fell into step beside them.

"Good evening," The man said in a German accent. Booth and Brennan greeted the couple, who were both dressed immaculately in evening wear. The coupled moved ahead of them, arm in arm, laughing and talking quietly as they disappeared in to the dark brown adobe of the La Posada hotel.

Brennan felt the sudden, and rather bewildering, urge to take hold of Booth's hand. She countered this by stuffing her hands into her pockets. The feeling passed as quickly as it came. When Booth stopped to wait for her, holding the heavy wooden door open, he gave her a strange look at her slowed pace.

The German couple was just stepping into the elevator as they approached. Instinctively, Brennan and Booth slowed, allowing the doors to close before they pushed the button. "I hate feeling underdressed," Booth said as they stepped into an empty elevator.

"I told you we should have gone to the opera," Brennan said.

"Yeah, but you were kidding about that. Weren't you?" he asked, suddenly worried.

She laughed and stepped off the elevator. "Yes. I promise I will never make you go to the opera." Booth exaggerated his relief. She continued thoughtfully, "Unless it is for a case, or if Angela takes up opera."

"Can she sing?" Booth asked apprehensively.

"She's not bad at karaoke," Brennan admitted. Her expression turned serious as they approached their rooms. Something had been on her mind since their conversation on the rock.

"Booth," She said, leaning back against her door, and speaking to her hands instead of to him. "There are some things I believe in that can't be proven."

"Such as …" Booth prompted when she didn't continue.

Brennan swallowed and looked up at him. "I believe in us." She cleared her throat and clarified, "In our friendship and partnership. That's something that isn't visible or able to be proven scientifically. Does that count?"

"Yes, that counts, Bones," Booth answered, his voice suddenly husky. He reached out and traced her cheekbone with his finger. She closed her eyes, allowing his caress, before taking a step back and placing some much needed space between them.

"You should watch out tonight," she said, her voice not yet steady. "I've read that this place is haunted. Something about sacred Native American land and a dead housewife."

Booth leaned against the wall, still facing her, and said with a smirk, "I don't know, Bones, I'm pretty sure you were the one who locked the doors earlier." He shook his head and mocked, "Scared by the wind."

"Very funny, but I only locked the doors first because I beat you to it," Brennan defended herself.

Booth just grinned at her. "Goodnight, Bones," he said tenderly.

"Goodnight, Booth."

Despite their goodbye's being said, neither one moved. Finally, Brennan pulled her gaze from his, feeling she had stayed too long, and unlocked her door. She could feel his eyes on her back as he waited in the hall. Waiting for her to lock her door and be safely inside her room. It amazed her that she could feel both touched and annoyed by the same gesture. Nevertheless, after the lock clicked shut, she waited, a smile crossing her face when she heard Booth's door close several seconds later.

--

Thanks for reading and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

--

_Riiiiinngg! _Brennan shot up in her bed, looking wildly around in the darkness for the source of the loud ringing. Fire alarm, her sleep addled brain supplied. Fire! She sniffed the air, but didn't smell any smoke. It took her a moment to get her bearings, to remember exactly which state and which hotel she was currently in. Santa Fe. The arroyo. La Llorona. Booth.

Glancing at the clock, she was surprised to see it was 3:17 am. The alarm's incessant noise didn't stop and she figured she had better hurry, for the sake of her hearing, if nothing else. She slipped on a pair of relatively clean pants, dropping her short cotton nightshirt back down. She started for the door, grabbing her purse out of habit on the way. When she opened it, she faced Booth, who was standing with his arm poised to knock.

"Is there a fire?" she asked, blinking back the bright lights of the hall.

"I don't know, Bones, but we better go." Booth put his arm behind her back and guided her down the hall. "The stairs are this way."

As they evacuated the hotel, other befuddled and drowsy customers joined them. The crowd spilled out into the inner courtyard, a collective gasp as the cool night air washed over them. Booth and Bones made their way through the huddled masses, finding a place to wait it out on the edge of the crowd. They watched as several employees hustled past them.

"I didn't see shit, did you?" a uniformed bellboy asked one of his fellow employees.

"No man, no smoke or anything," he agreed.

"Great. Here we go again," the bellboy said with a sigh.

Booth listened to their conversation automatically. His heart was only now beginning to slow. When the fire alarm went off he was deep asleep, but he flew out of bed and grabbed his weapon on instinct. Most of the time, he was successful at repressing certain instincts and reactions the Army had drilled into him. But being woken in the night by the jarring noise had shaken him. Rubbing his face, he took a few steps and leaned against a tree.

"I can't believe this," Brennan said, following him. "All the hotels I've been in and I've never had an alarm like this."

"Yeah, this is a first for me too," he replied with a yawn. Booth stopped and leaned back against the tree.

Sirens pierced the still night air, then quieted, and Brennan shivered. The warmth of the day quickly gave way to the coolness of night once the sun set beyond the mountains. Standing next to Booth, she looked around, taking in the strange scene. The various adobe buildings of the hotel lined the perimeter, surrounding the lusciously landscaped inner courtyard. Right in the middle of it all sat the oldest building, once home to a rich entrepreneur in the late 1800's, which now housed rooms as well as the bar they had been in last night.

The group they were a part of had stayed inside the hotel grounds, but she watched as another group was lead through the entrance and out onto the street. Most people were in various states of undress, some wearing the fluffy reddish-brown robes with La Posada embroidered across the front. Brennan crossed her arms over her light cotton top and wished she had thought to do the same.

Next to her, she knew Booth was doing the same thing, carefully observing the scene, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Except nothing seemed ordinary about the posh hotel's clients milling outside in their nightclothes. To their left, she could see hotel employees passing out blankets and robes to the crowd.

"This is bullshit!" a man in front of them shouted as a woman wearing a maid's uniform tried to hand him a blanket. "I will not stand out here…" The man stopped and watched as a very tall blond woman paraded by wearing only skimpy black lingerie that barely covered her alluring curves.

Turning to Booth to comment on the woman's audacity, Brennan noticed that Booth was following the blond eagerly with his eyes.

"Hey," Booth said innocently when Brennan punched him in the arm. "What was that for?"

Brennan gave him a reproachful look. "I thought you might start drooling," she said dryly.

"How come you don't sleep like that?" Booth asked playfully, pointing to Brennan's cotton and denim attire.

No bothering to answer, she turned instead, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and watched as the first firemen and police arrived on scene.

"Bones," Booth said, poking her shoulder several moments later.

"What?" she hissed back.

"I am going to go see what is going on."

--

Brennan's eyes immediately picked out Booth as he made his way back towards her, blanket in hand.

"Here," he said unceremoniously, handing her the blanket.

"I don't need this," she replied automatically. Truthfully, she was a bit cold, but her pride wouldn't allow her to use the blanket. Instead, she turned and passed it to a young couple huddled together next to them.

Booth watched Brennan quietly, shaking his head at her stubbornness.

"Oh, thanks!" the woman said.

"You guys don't need this?" her boyfriend asked.

"No," Brennan insisted. "I am fine." She watched as the young man slipped the blanket around his shoulders and pulled his girlfriend tightly to him, kissing her before lifting the blanket over their heads.

"Well," Booth said from behind her, making her jump, "at least we should get back inside soon. There is no sign of a fire so far and they are going to reset the alarm." Booth clapped his hands together in front of him. "And then we sleep."

Yawning as if on cue, Brennan said, "I'm glad we didn't book that seven o'clock flight."

"Me too," Booth agreed. He sat back down, trying to make himself comfortable on the uneven ground. When Brennan didn't follow, he patted the ground next to him.

She sat stiffly next to him, and he noticed her surreptitious looks at the blanketed couple, who were now making out in earnest. Booth couldn't help but be a little jealous of their method of keeping warm, and he wondered about Brennan's interest in the couple. Though the night was illuminated by the lights of the hotel, there wasn't enough light for him to read her face. Maybe she was thinking of earlier, in the hallway. He didn't think she knew just how close he was to kissing her. If she hadn't stepped back when she did … actually, Booth realized, maybe she did know just how close it was.

"Ow," Brennan said, rubbing a spot on her back where she had leaned against a sharp stick. Booth had been following her silent struggle to find a comfortable position, since he himself was happy leaning against the large base of the tree. Part of Bones' struggle seemed to be keeping a respectable distance between the two of them. Finally, she looked up at him, a pitiful expression on her face as she still rubbed at the sore spot.

"Come here," he said holding out his arm, offering his side to her. After another quick glance at the passionate couple, she slid over the ground until she was next to him. He lowered his arm around her shoulders and tried to get her to lean into him, but she resisted, sitting awkwardly straight.

"It's ok, Bones," he said in low voice, his mouth close to her ear. She leaned back fractionally and Booth sighed. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths, willing both himself and Bones to relax. After a few minutes, she did, sinking wordlessly back against his body.

After a while, Brennan felt herself start to drift off to sleep, and forced her eyes open. The adrenaline of the initial alarm had worn off, and her body was now aware that it was four in the morning and that she should be sleeping. No longer cold, thanks to their shared body heat, she was a little more comfortable snuggled up next to her partner than she would care to admit.

They heard a stirring, come from behind them, and they could see the edge of the crowd moving slowly back towards their rooms. Booth stood up, and extended an arm for Brennan, who refused the help. She brushed the dirt from her pants and together they started for their building.

Suddenly, everything went dark. Booth stopped abruptly, causing Brennan to run into him from behind. Reaching out, she grabbed his arm in the confused darkness and kept hold of it as they looked around. Every building in the complex was completely dark. From here, they could not see if the power outage extended beyond the insular hotel complex.

"Look," they heard a woman say and a murmur went through the crowd. They turned, trying to find what the others were looking at. At the very top of the old house, there was a strange flickering light in the window. It appeared for several seconds, then vanished.

At first, Booth wasn't sure he had actually seen the light. He closed his eyes and opened them, refocusing on the spot where he had seen the light, but it was gone. Turning to ask Brennan if she had seen the yellowish light, she gripped his arm tighter and pointed. It was back, though one floor lower this time. The crowd watched in silence as the light flickered for a few seconds in each window before moving onto the next.

"It looks like someone walking around with a candle," Brennan whispered.

"Aren't there hotel rooms on the second floor?" Booth asked.

"I think so," Brennan said, trying to remember what she had read. She and Booth were not staying in the older Staab house, but in one of the perimeter casitas.

"So how is that person getting from room to room so quickly?" Booth asked. Brennan had no answer.

They watched as the light reached the last window on the west side of the building, then started back the way it had come. Brennan turned to see if the light was from an outside source, or perhaps a reflection, but everything was dark except the light of the early morning moon.

"Bones," Booth said, calling her attention to the corner, where their rooms were. The light flickered for several seconds in each of the six west facing windows, then disappeared. Heads turned from one corner to the other trying to find where it had gone next.

And then the lights came back on. A blaze of artificial light washed out over the grounds. Every single light, regardless of whether it had been on or not before the outage, was shining brightly. Brennan looked down and realized she was still clutching Booth's arm tightly. "Sorry," she mumbled, releasing his arm and rubbing her hands together in front of her.

The people around them began to move again, determined to make it back to their beds before anything else weird happened. But Booth wasn't moving. He was looking back and forth between the two buildings where the light had appeared. The only rooms still dark where the ones in which the strange light had appeared.

"Isn't that your room?" Booth asked, pointing to a far dark window.

Brennan counted and said, "I think so." They exchanged a brief look before they resumed walking. As they approached her door, they were greeted by a uniformed hotel employee.

"Is this your room?" he asked the couple.

"Yes," Brennan answered, carefully emphasizing her next words. "It's mine."

"I apologize ma'am, but these west facing rooms are still without power. We cannot have any guests staying in them tonight," he explained.

"What happened with the power? And the alarms?" Booth asked.

"I'm not sure. False alarm, I believe." The employee studied the couple before him, the tall man standing close behind the beautiful woman, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder. He was having a hard time reading the situation. "If you will accompany me to the office, I can see about finding you another room for the rest of the night. Unless you prefer other arrangements…" he trailed off, embarrassed.

Booth cleared his throat and stepped away from Brennan. "Yeah, Bones, you might as well stay with me. We aren't going to get much sleep anyway."

The employee winked at Booth, who colored as he realized what he had said. To Brennan he said, "You may go to the front desk in the morning to straighten out your room. Good night."

Giving her a sheepish grin, Booth opened the door to his room. There were a few random articles of clothing strewn about and he hurriedly picked them up, shoving them into his bag in the corner.

Brennan glanced around his room, it's décor and layout different from hers, not quite as nice. "Why is it my room that has no power," she complained half heartily with a yawn.

"I guess my room wasn't good enough for the ghost." He sat down on the loveseat and took off his shoes.

"You don't really believe it was a ghost, do you?" she asked incredulously.

Booth sighed. It was almost four thirty in the morning; he knew he didn't have the mental strength for this discussion, so he changed the subject instead. "You can take the bed." He leaned back against the cushions. "I'll sleep here."

"Don't be silly, Booth," she said, shaking her head. "This bed is huge. We can share, there are only a few hours left to sleep anyway."

She watched him from the corner of her eye, interested in his reaction. "If you're sure," he said standing up. As she looked at him, his dark hair tousled and muscled arms peaking out from his shirt, the bed suddenly seemed smaller.

"Of course," she said, not sounding quite as sure as she had before.

Booth stood awkwardly at the other side. "Mind if I take my shirt off?" he asked, fingering the collar of the cotton t-shirt.

"Go ahead," she said, sneaking a look at his bare chest before turning her head away. "Seriously, Booth, do you believe in ghosts?" she asked to distract herself from their rather intimate situation.

"Bones," Booth said sighing, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Yes, I do. But I do not want to get into this right now," he added firmly.

Moving off towards the bathroom, Brennan said, "I'm not really surprised. Your Catholicism has a deep-rooted tradition of mysticism. The church even sanctions exorcisms to rid people of demonic possessions."

"Not now, Bones," he said warningly.

She turned back to tease him one final time, but he had moved and she almost ran into him. "Oh!" she said in surprise, her right hand automatically reaching out, coming to rest on his arm. They were standing close in the dimly lit hotel room; closer than they had been the night before in the hallway. Brennan kept her eyes focused on her hand, expecting Booth to move, but he didn't. Neither did he speak. Finally, Brennan raised her head, her eyes tracing the pleasing and symmetrical lines of his face.

There was a look in Booth's dark eyes that she hadn't seen before, and she wasn't sure how to interpret it. Her heart was suddenly pounding and she dropped her hand back to her side, but she stayed where she was. Slowly, Booth's left hand moved and came to rest just above her hip. They moved infinitesimally closer.

Brennan could feel his breath on her face, the heat from his body where their chests barely touched. The smell the tangy soap he'd washed with earlier filled teased her nose. It was as if all of her senses were concentrated on him. Without thinking, she tilted her head forward, closing the remaining space between them, and kissed him. Booth's hand moved from her waist to her back, as he held her tightly, deepening the kiss. For a moment, she was lost in the sensation of the embrace and she slid her arms up to his neck, wanting him even closer. But then her mind broke through the haze of feeling and she remembered just who she was kissing.

Pulling away, she stammered, "I'm … I'm sorry. I don't know what …."

Booth's arms dropped as she stepped back out of his reach. Feeling the cool air creep in where she had been, he watched her, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. She looked completely shocked at her actions. She also looked beautiful with her eyes wide and shining, face flushed.

"Don't, Bones. Don't apologize," he said in a low voice.

She shook her head, "But we can't and I shouldn't have."

Booth eyed her thoughtfully, not entirely sure how to handle the situation. He longed to go to her, to finish what they had started, but she was now several feet away from him, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed in front of her, looking rather upset.

"It was just a kiss," he said, his casual words belying the truth. She looked at him, almost grateful. "Happens to me all the time," he said forcing a small laugh. "Sometimes I'm irresistible. What can I say?"

Smiling tentatively, Brennan nodded. "I bet it does. I'm … I'm just gonna finish up here," she pointed to the bathroom. She'd been about to add, 'and then we can get to sleep,' but the thought brought some rather heated images into her mind.

With the bathroom door was securely closed behind her, she leaned on the counter and closed her eyes, not quite able to comprehend what she had just done. Booth was good looking, she'd already acknowledged her feelings about that, but this couldn't happen. Not while they worked together. And now she wasn't sure if she should feel embarrassed, attacking her partner in the middle of the night with some unwanted kiss. Though somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew, from the way Booth had held her, that the kiss was not entirely unwanted.

What scared her most was that she'd kissed him because she literally couldn't control herself. She'd felt exceptionally close to him since they had arrived in Santa Fe. Perhaps it was the laid back atmosphere of the city, or the posh yet casual atmosphere of the hotel that had caused her control to slip, or the elevation. Either way, she needed to get her herself back under control quickly.

Splashing water on her face, Brennan stared into the mirror, trying to see what Booth saw, but it was just her same old face staring back, still slightly flushed from the close contact. Though she felt like staying in the bathroom for the rest of the night rather than face him, she knew that would only make it worse. She needed to play it casually, as Booth had. Just a kiss between adults in the middle of the night. Nothing more.

--

Booth was sitting on the bed wearing only a pair of shorts when she opened the door. One look at him and she immediately felt heat rise in her again. Instead of joining him, she curled up on the corner of the love seat, clutching a pillow to her chest.

"I think I'll just sleep here," she said breezily.

"Are you sure?" Booth asked, his intense eyes boring into hers.

"Yes," she said firmly, for once aware that there was more to the question beneath the surface.

Standing up, Booth crossed the room towards her. For one illogical moment, she thought he was going to take her in his arms and make love to her right there on the couch, and she found herself unable to muster any resistance. Instead, he picked up a blanket and spread it across her.

"Get some rest, Bones," Booth said tenderly, bending down and lightly kissing her forehead. "We've got a long travel day tomorrow."

Leaning back into the couch, she touched a hand to her forehead, and drifted off to sleep.

-

Brennan escaped to the safety of her own room as soon as the sun came up. Tiptoeing quietly past the bed, she couldn't help but pause at the sight of a sleeping Booth. He looked relaxed and almost vulnerable, two qualities he rarely exhibited when he was awake. He was lying on his back; his left hand sprawled out across the empty bed next to him as if he was reaching for someone.

Fleetingly, Brennan wondered what it would be like if things were different. How it would feel if she filled the empty spot next to him on the bed. Then Booth shifted, turning to his side, and Brennan fled from the room, not wanting to be caught staring at him.

Her room felt strangely cool when she entered it. Looking around cautiously, she noted that nothing looked out of place. If someone had been in her room, flashing a light, there was no sign of it. She also noticed that the heavy curtains were closed tightly. It would have been impossible to see a light in her room so clearly from outside. Goosebumps crept up her arms, and she rubbed at them. Laughing aloud, she said, "Ghosts. Right." Then she crawled under the covers for another hour of sleep.

--

"Morning, Bones," Booth said, giving her a bright smile as he joined her in the lobby.

"Hi, Booth," she replied a bit shyly.

He held her eyes for a moment longer, keeping the smile on his face, hoping to reassure her that there was no need for it be to uncomfortable between them. Silently, he started to say a prayer that they could forget that the kiss had ever happened, but he stopped. That wasn't exactly the result he dreamed about.

"Booth?" Brennan said, touching his shoulder lightly to get his attention.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry." Looking around, he didn't see her bags. "Where's your stuff?"

"The concierge took it. It'll be with the car."

"Oh, right."

They stood staring at each other, both unsure if they should discuss the kiss or not. Finally, Booth had had enough of the awkward silence. "Let check out so we can get back home." Booth moved towards the front desk.

The Hispanic man behind the desk was very polite and very efficient. "That will be $847," the clerk said with a pleasant smile.

Booth almost choked. "Armando," Booth said reading his nametag. "Is that the, ah, government rate?" Booth asked quietly. Armando nodded.

"I have also subtracted 75 of the room price for last night, because of the unusual circumstances" he offered with a sympathetic smile.

Booth tried not to grimace as he handed over his American Express.

The stay at La Posada would cost him almost $400 out of pocket. He was aware of Bones shifting behind him. She wouldn't even blink as she paid full price for her room, which was even larger than his. In the future, he would have to pay more attention to the hotels she deemed affordable. Signing the credit card slip, Booth moved aside and waited for Bones to complete her business as well.

However, he did have to admit the old hotel had charm, and maybe even a ghost or two. The spacious, but enclosed grounds made it easy to forget life existed beyond the crooked streets and adobe walls. And he definitely could not begrudge the scene of their first, and hopefully not last, kiss.

"Again, we deeply apologize for the inconvenience," the clerk said to Brennan. "And here is a complimentary pass for a romantic weekend getaway. A couples spa session is also included." She accepted the paper with a slight blush and tucked it in her purse. "I trust you found somewhere comfortable to stay?" he asked conversationally as he typed into the computer.

"Ah … yes," she said. The clerk looked up from the monitor in time to catch her glance towards the government man beside her.

"Were you inconvenienced as well?" Armando asked with a knowing look in his brown eyes.

Booth returned the man's wry smile with a withering look, forcing himself not to look at his partner. "Not at all," replied truthfully.

--

"I can't believe this weather!" Brennan exclaimed as she exited the rental car at the Santa Fe airport.

Booth looked up at the sky, which had gone from brilliant blue at seven am to dirty gray at ten am. The air was eerily still under the darkening clouds and a layer of fog clung to the ground.

"Yeah, I think we've seen it all on this trip," Booth agreed. He waved off the man who came over to help unload, preferring, as usual to handle his luggage rather than pay someone to do it.

Leaving the rental car parked as instructed, they walked the short distance to the airport building. Brennan didn't protest when Booth picked up her heavy bag, mainly because he had gotten so obstinate about valets and bell boys.

The Santa Fe Municipal Airport was not large, it couldn't even support regular commercial flights, but it catered to an upscale group of core clients. The adobe building was surprisingly luxurious inside, for a publicly run facility. Together they made their way to the charter flights desk. "Hello," Booth said cheerfully as he set the tickets on the counter.

The woman behind the counter didn't return his level of cheeriness. She confirmed their information then said, "We are having some strange weather conditions." She pointed out towards the windows, where the fog had crept even higher since they had left the car. "Flights are being canceled. We are going to begin rerouting our arrivals to Albuquerque."

"So you are saying we are not flying out of here at eleven?" Brennan demanded. Booth shot her a look that she knew meant she should be more tactful, but she ignored it.

As if to make up for her supposed rudeness, Booth leaned closer to the woman behind the counter and flashed his charm smile. Brennan was surprised to feel herself stiffen at his flirting. "This flight is chartered for the FBI," Booth said smoothly. "Are you sure we can't get out before the storm closes in?"

"I'm sorry," the woman smiled regretfully, as if there was nothing more that she would like than to help this poor, good-looking man out. "Maybe if you had a plane registered to the FBI maybe, but not a commercial charter."

"So when can we leave?" Brennan asked, moving a bit closer to Booth.

"I don't know," the airline employee replied, her face pinched and less friendly than before. She turned to Booth and said, "Your best bet is probably just to go to Albuquerque. This storm seems to be centered only around Santa Fe." she paused thoughtfully, "It's very odd. Anyway, Albuquerque is only an hour down I-25."

Booth looked at Brennan, who just shrugged. He shouldered the heavy bags again and they started for the door.

Outside, Booth's attention was drawn to a black Range Rover where a man had obviously been reunited with his wife and kids. The woman turned and Booth was shocked the recognize her.

"That's Julia Roberts," he said to Bones, talking through the side of his mouth.

"Who?" she asked, staring openly towards the family. Booth tugged at her hand and they walked on.

"Julia Roberts. You know, Pretty Woman," he said, trying not to stare at the movie star. Booth knew that several movie stars lived in the area.

"Oh, the prostitute?" she asked loudly. Booth groaned and quickened his pace, not sure why he even bothered.

"On to Albuquerque," he said as he started the rental car once again. "And there better not be any weird storms or power failures."

--

"Ladies and gentleman, we have an announcement from the captain," a female voice announced over the loudspeaker. They had been sitting on the plane for over a half hour and Booth was starting to fall asleep. At the announcement, he sat up.

"Due to a mechanical failure, we will be returning to the gate. This plane will not be able to continue on to Atlanta. After you deboard, the ticket agents will help you with your travel plans. We apologize and hope you will fly United Airlines again."

Booth turned to Brennan. "You have got to be kidding me," he said, not quite believing that they still would not be flying home.

"Excuse me!" a heavy-weight woman said, struggling to get up from her window seat. Booth and Brennan grabbed their bags and shuffled dejectedly off the plane.

--

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting at the Route 66 bar, waiting for a 4:15 flight to Cincinnati.

"This is weird," Brennan admitted, taking a sip from her beer.

"I know," Booth agreed.

"It almost seems like someone doesn't want us to leave. But, of course, that is completely irrational. It's just several coincidences."

"First we solve the case in like a day and a half," Booth begins ticking off on his fingers.

"Then we end up in an arroyo digging up an Anasazi or something and hear some weird noises. Possibly La Llorona." Brennan opens her mouth as if to protest, but Booth quieted her with a gesture and continued. "And last night, with the fire alarm, the power outage, the strange light and …." He stopped awkwardly; he'd been about to say, our kiss.

Brennan seemed to know what he omitted, she took another drink and said, "Booth, I wanted to say-" But before she could finish, Booth's phone rang. A ring that she knew was special to him, and meant he would take the call.

He looked apologetic, and then opened the phone. "Hey, Bub!" Booth put a hand over his other ear, trying to block out the din. Giving up, he pointed towards the door. Brennan nodded and watched him walk away, talking to his son.

--

Booth smiled at the phone, then closed it and slipped it back into his pocket. Parker was old enough now that they could have a real conversation and his upcoming Boy Scout trip the Six Flags was apparently the most exciting thing ever. Booth's smile faded as he walked back into the bar. He could see Bones sitting with her back to him, her auburn hair hanging freely past her shoulder. He could also see a preppy looking blond man sitting next to her, in his seat.

Pausing to watch them, Booth saw the man turned towards Bones, a large smile across his face. She seemed to be smiling back at him. Booth tried to ignore the tight feeling in his stomach. Hands in his pockets, he walked slowly towards the chatting pair. When he saw the blond man's hand come to rest on the back of her chair, Booth's quickened his pace.

"Mmmhmm," Booth cleared his throat as he stopped behind the man.

"Booth," Brennan said, her head whipping around.

"My seat." Booth nodded towards the man.

"I'm sorry," the preppy man said, looking at Bones and not sounding the least bit sorry. "I was under the impression this seat was vacant."

"Yeah, well, it's not," Booth practically growled at him.

The man stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Stephen," Brennan said.

"So, is this seat taken?" Stephen asked smoothly, moving to the chair on Brennan's other side.

Brennan hesitated. "She's with me," Booth said finally. He knew Bones would object to the macho language, but at least it would get rid of this guy. She had plenty of time to be angry during the long upcoming flight.

Stephen looked taken aback. "Is that true?" he asked Brennan.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Then it was a pleasure to meet you," Stephen said, picking up his bag and walking away.

"I'm sorry," Booth said, attempting a proactive strike. But instead of an angry retort, she gave him a shy smile.

"You told the truth," she said simply.

The possibilities of what she meant by that stormed though his mind. Booth grabbed his drink, which should have obviously marked his place to Stephen, and sipped it slowly. Brennan had turned from him and was sitting straight with her arms resting on the bar. He was just about to reach out, to maybe take her hand, when his phone rang again.

"Goddamnit!" he muttered. Brennan looked at him in surprise. Booth expression changed from anger to curiosity as he saw the number displayed on the phone.

"Agent Booth," he said. Brennan listened intently; she could usually tell whom he was talking with by the tone of his voice.

"No, actually we are still here. We are having a little trouble getting out of New Mexico." Booth said, and then fell silent. "Yes. Well, probably. Let me call you back."

"What is it?" Brennan asked the minute he hung up.

"They found another body in Santa Fe."

--

Please review!! Thanks

I try to give each story a slightly different spin on the possible hook-up and relationship. And while that is the reason for the story, there will be a case as well.

I usually only manage to update once a week. Though I may have to speed this up cause school is starting. (Ugh. Going back to school for my masters degree. What was I thinking?)


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